Did you know Amrish Puri was in his late 30s, when he made his film debut?

Amrish Puri was born on June 22, 1932, in Jalandhar (Punjab) to a Punjabi-speaking Khatri family of Nihal Chand Puri and Ved Kaur. The actor had four siblings, elder brothers/renowned actors Chaman Puri and Madan Puri, elder sister Chandrakanta, and a younger brother, Harish Puri. (All photos/mid-day archives)

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Amrish Puri entered the film industry hoping to become a hero. He failed his first screen test, following which he landed a job with the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

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Even while doing his mundane job, his passion for acting was intact. Amrish Puri acted in plays at Prithvi Theatre written by the legendary Satyadev Dubey.

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He earned a lot of recognition as a stage actor and even won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1979.

In picture: Amrish Puri with another iconic villain Gulshan Grover.

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Following the success on stage, Amrish Puri got to work in television commercials.

In picture: Amrish Puri with Amitabh Bachchan and other guests at an event.

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By the time he made his film debut, Amrish Puri was in his late 30s. He had a bit role in Dev Anand's Prem Pujari (1970) which also starred his brother Madan Puri.

In picture: Amrish Puri looks menacing in this look from one of his films.

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Amrish Puri's first full-fledged celluloid role was in the Marathi movie Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe, in which he played a blind man singing in a railway compartment.

Amrish Puri portrayed the character of Mola Ram, a Thuggee priest in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

In pic: Amrish Puri in a still from Anil Kapoor-starrer Nayak (2001).

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In one of his interviews, Spielberg commented, "Amrish is my favourite villain -- The best the world has ever produced and ever will."

In picture: Amrish Puri and Govinda in a still from their film.

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At first, Amrish Puri was reluctant to act in Indiana Jones', but Sir Richard Attenborough convinced him to take up the character.

In picture: Amrish Puri in his character from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

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In Indian Jones, Amrish Puri shaved his head for the first time, and it went on to become a trademark in subsequent Bollywood films, where he played the dreaded villain.

In picture: Amrish Puri in his iconic look of Mogambo from Mr. India (1987).

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Amrish Puri had a brief role as Khan in Attenborough's Gandhi (1982).

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Amrish Puri had a passion for hats and had a collection of nearly 200 gathered from across the globe.

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Amrish Puri's last film appearance was in Kachchi Sadak (released in 2006).

In picture: Amrish Puri and Shakti Kapoor a still from 'Nafrat Ki Aandhi'.

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Amrish Puri was suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare kind of blood cancer, and had undergone some brain invasive surgery for his condition after he was admitted to the Hinduja hospital in 2004.

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Amrish Puri died following a brain haemorrhage in 2005. His condition required frequent removal of the blood accumulated in the cerebral region of the brain.

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Amrish Puri had slipped into coma shortly before his death on January 12, 2005. In a career spanning over three decades, the veteran actor starred in over 200 films.

We miss you Amrish ji!

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About The Gallery

On the death anniversary of the legendary Bollywood actor Amrish Puri, we remember the iconic actor by presenting some interesting facts about him and pictures you may have not seen before

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